Chkhalta ( ka, ჩხალთა; ; ) is a village in the upper part of the Kodori Valley, situated in Gulripshi District, Abkhazia, a breakaway republic from

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

History

Chkhalta is considered to be "Tsakhar" of the Byzantine sources by a considerable number of scholars. Here, in 556, the battle took place between the

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

army and rebellious Misimians, a local proto-Georgian tribe. The Missimians revolted during the Lazic War against the Byzantine rule and sided with the

Sasanian Empire The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranian peoples, Iranians"), was an List of monarchs of Iran, Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, th ...

, but the Sasanians could offer no help as they were defeated by the Byzantine army at Phasis ( Poti). Misimian rebels fortified themselves in the fortress of Tsakhar, but they were defeated by the Byzantine army. The Misimians continued to fight, but ultimately the revolt was suppressed. Prior to August 2008, Chkhalta was part of ' Upper Abkhazia', and once housed the headquarters of a now defunct armed formation Monadire. It was the only part of the region controlled by the Georgian government after the 1992–1993 War in Abkhazia. During the August 2008 Russo-Georgian war, Abkhaz separatists gained control of Chkhalta and the rest of Upper Abkhazia. Most of Chkalta's inhabitants fled the advancing troops and have yet to return.

References

{{Administrative divisions of Abkhazia Upper Abkhazia Populated places in Gulripshi District

History

See also

References